Thoughts
by Alemae
Summary: Putting some funny ideas into words. Slight AU. Hopefully, it will be more than 1 chapter.
1. 1: School

I had this weird idea. Another one. Again. I wrote this at like 2am in the morning. Hope it's not that bad.

* * *

Feldt sat at her desk quietly, like a good schoolgirl. She sat with her laptop placed in front of her on the desk, every now and then pausing to type in some important notes that the lecturer was rambling on about. College could be so _boring _sometimes. None of the excitement or adrenaline that she was used to feeling when she was on board the Ptolemaios could be experienced here. Up in space, there was always the danger of dying hanging over their heads. Yet here, the only danger was oversleeping and being late for lectures. But somehow, Feldt still found space to be more appealing. Maybe it had something to do with the people she was with. She missed her 'family' that consisted of the Ptolemaios' crew. Here in college, she was a nobody. Nobody talked to her or noticed her- she was practically non-existent. She missed the feeling of having to be in charge of the safety of others, making sure all missions went according to plan. Of course, what she missed most was probably _him_. She hadn't seen him for ages, ever since she came down to Earth about a month ago. Then, she had enrolled in this place in an attempt to feel normal for a while, to try to forget her feelings.

She sighed. She now sorely regretted her actions and wished she were still back in space, working at her station. The laptop she was using now could not compare to the advanced Veda.

"I want to go back to space," she grumbled to herself.

"Yes, Miss Grace? You were saying? Maybe you would like to answer the next question?" the lecturer asked in gentle tone that masked the menace in her question. Feldt started out of her reverie and stared around rather helplessly, but it was in vain, for no one wanted to help the rather strange and aloof girl with pink hair. All attention was focused on her and Feldt began to blush, but she had no choice as she made her way up to the front of the class, all eyes tracking her every movement. She did not notice the rather interested stares of the boys in the class, nor the glares of loathing she received from the girls. Feldt bit her lip as she stared at the complex mathematics equation on the board, desperately trying to recall what she had heard in the last few minutes.

"Um...do I square root the sum of the product of the two unknowns?" she finally questioned the teacher, in hope that she would at least be spared. But it was a vain hope. The lecturer just gave her a look that could have caused an entire rainforest to go up in flames. Feldt flinched and turned to the board again. All of a sudden, there was a loud and reverberating thud that echoed throughout the classroom and the ground trembled beneath their feet. Somebody in the class fell out of his chair in surprise and shock.

'Saved by the...earthquake?' Feldt thought rather skeptically. But she could not help but think of the loud noise and vibration she had just heard and felt. Her lecturer hurriedly made her way to the door of their classroom and poked her head out. The next expression that came over her face could only be described as dumbstruck. She gasped loudly and ran out of the room. Pandemonium ensued as everyone else rushed for the door in a bid to see what had happened.

Feldt hurriedly put down the marker she was holding and followed after everyone else, not wanting to be left behind. She made her way out of the class and walked slowly to the big field where every other student was heading for. What she saw caused her to gasp in shock and recognition. A sight greeted her eyes, one that was very familiar, yet looked glaringly out of place in the middle of the school field.

Its armor glinting in the bright sunlight, Gundam 00 stood exposed and stock-still, causing everyone assembled to gape in astonishment at the intimidating yet awe-inspiring machine right in front of them.

This could only mean one thing: he was back from his mission.

* * *

Setsuna gazed emotionlessly at the gawking faces below him. He took off his helmet and wordlessly climbed out of his cockpit, his helmet under his arm. As he ascended onto the ground, one person stood out from amongst the crowd. The one he had been searching for. Her bright pink hair was a dead giveaway, and the fact that she seemed to be the only person here who was not stunned into silence at his fearsome machine.

He strode up to her in silence, students and teachers alike parting to give way to the young yet tall pilot.

The sight of him coming down to the ground caused her breath to catch. He was like a god coming down to Earth. Somehow, in the short time that she had not seen him, he seemed to have grown again. Not only in his looks, but in his height as well. He towered over many others now. Including her.

"Feldt Grace." The way he always said her full name caused her heart to flutter in her chest. It was familiar and comforting, something she hadn't heard in a while.

"Setsuna..." Now that he was here, actually here with her, she was lost for words. In all her daydreams, never had she imagined their reunion to be like this. She had pictured something romantic, more emotional. But she realized that that wasn't Setsuna. Her Setsuna always kept his emotions masked and reigned in, under tight control.

"I brought you a present."

He handed her a flower, reminding her of that time, just before that fateful last battle, when she had done the same.

The flower. It was gone now, lost in space, but the memory still remained, as did the blush on her cheeks whenever she thought about it.

"You didn't have to. How was the...mission?" Yes, the mission. The one that she deemed to be too dangerous, yet Ms Sumeragi insisted on carrying out. That was the reason she took her little 'holiday'.

"Successful. As always. But, I...thought of you."

That surprised her and caught her attention. Setsuna, expressing his emotions to her?

"As did I."

The next thing she knew, she was within his warm embrace. Seizing the opportunity, she pressed herself closer against him. She had missed him so much.

"Never, ever leave me again," she mumbled into his chest. All she got in response was the tightening of his arms around her. She leaned into his embrace and looked up into his face, seeking his eyes.

"Thank you. For the flower, for coming back to me." Automatically, her head tilted up as he bent down towards her. Her eyes drifted shut as he brushed his lips gently against hers. Her hands locked themselves around his neck of their own accord, as though wanting to keep him there forever.

Slowly, he ended the kiss and wrapped an arm around her small waist.

"We should get going. Celestial Being has some unfinished work to do," he said, voice soft as he led her alongside him to his gundam. She just nodded and seized his hand. In response, he gave her a small, lopsided grin that made her heart stutter.

* * *

"By the way, I forgot to ask you how school was," he suddenly stated, when they were both in the cockpit of his mecha.

"Hmm...you do know you're not supposed to pick me up from school in a gundam, don't you?" she teased, sliding her arms around his neck.

"Feldt, don't distract me when I'm flying."

* * *

Well, that's all for now, I suppose. I'm writing another story halfway. Hope I can finish it soon. :p but school has started, so there will be less frequent updates. Comments and criticisms welcome! :)


	2. 2: Book

A/N: This was a very weird idea, with some weird connotations. I have no idea where this came from, but it was on my com for a while... Hope you like it...

* * *

"Hey, Setsuna. What do you think this means?" Feldt called out to the man in the chair opposite hers. Both of them were seated in Feldt's room, resting after a long and tiring day of combat. The man in question looked up from his communicator, where he was typing a report to submit to Veda. Glancing at the pink-haired girl whom he had come to cherish, he noticed a slight crease between her eyebrows as she focused on something in the book she was reading.

"What?" He put down the communicator and floated silently over to the girl, stopping just behind her chair. Bending forwards, he looked at the book she was reading. It was a classic, written way before their time, most probably even before solar energy was even invented. Feldt's taste in Literature was very strange.

Feeling a sudden brush of air against her cheek, Feldt suddenly turned to the source, only to look directly into Setsuna's face. Startled by the proximity, the book slipped from between her hands and floated out of her reach. Quickly regaining control of her senses, she reached out for her book before leaning back into her chair again.

"Setsuna!" she scolded gently, "don't do that. You could give me a heart attack one of these days. Actually, is it even possible to suffer from a heart attack in space?" Caught up in her musings, she failed to notice the copper-eyed man reach out to stroke her cheek with his fingers. As she felt the warm touch of his fingertips against her skin, she could not help but to sigh. Reaching behind her, she wrapped her arm around his neck and drew him forwards, closer to her. He did not resist, but instead reached forwards to encircle her waist with his arms.

Feldt relished the feeling of having the one she loved so close to her. It was hard to always feel so secure, especially when he was on the battlefield. Not that she had any objections about it, for he had his own reasons to fight, reasons he had explained to her before. If anything, she encouraged him to fight, to help in the only way he could. Seeing Setsuna in his flight suit wasn't that bad either, she thought, and blushed inwardly at her own fantasies. At that moment, the man of her dreams decided to lean in even closer, nuzzling her neck. She sighed in contentment, happy to have him so close.

"Setsuna, have you ever thought of a future beyond Celestial Being?" Feldt whispered. Behind her, she felt Setsuna stiffen slightly in response to the question.

"Why do you ask?"

"I was just thinking of me...and you."

This was one of the questions that continuously bugged Feldt whenever she was resting or after a battle. With her mind clearer than before, new worries would be able to make themselves known. But one of the things she was most worried about was Setsuna. And this had constantly gnawed at her mind since the two of them began their relationship.

"Feldt, you don't have to think of this. What will be, will be. But you will be a part of my future, I hope."

Feldt whirled around in surprise at hearing him say that. She had always wanted him to say that. It not only put her fears at ease, but also reassured her of his...affections for her. She was touched at his outward display of emotion towards her.

Standing up, she grabbed her pilot by the wrist and pulled him with her over to her small bed against the wall. Pushing him down onto the bed, she proceeded to curl up on top of him. Feeling the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed was comforting to her. She reached out to grab her abandoned book that floated aimlessly in the zero-gravity environment.

"This book is actually quite meaningful, you know? Maybe you should read it too," she mused. Underneath her, Setsuna wrinkled his nose in distaste and shook his head slightly. Feldt turned slightly on top of him so she could see his face. "How about we read it together?"

Looking at her face, he saw how her eyes lit up with mild eagerness at the thought of them doing something together. He sighed. How could he refuse such a face? Seeing his resigned expression, Feldt gave a gentle smile. Then she flipped to a random page in the middle of the book.

* * *

Feldt's eyelids were drooping. They were almost at the end of the book, but that day had taken its toll on her and she dropped off into a light doze, snuggling closer into her heat source. Setsuna relished her warmth and hugged her closer to him.

Just as Feldt was about to sink deeper into the embrace of sleep, she felt a ghost of a whisper at her ear.

"Actually, the book wasn't really that bad." She smiled sleepily in response and turned on her side to wrap an arm around her partner's torso. Deciding that he could do with a little nap himself, he closed his eyes and slowly drifted off.

Above them, suspended in the air, was a thick, dog-eared book with a faint cross on its cover.

* * *

A/N: Ok, this was kinda random and I think Setsuna was a bit...OOC? Not sure, but it was kinda fun to write this, though I haven't updated this in ages. Not sure if you guys got the last part. I hope that there are no misunderstandings or anything, it was purely for entertainment. Sorry for the late update and hoped you enjoyed it! Feel free to review, and thanks! :))


	3. 3: Feelings

A/N: Heya people, sorry for the super long hiatus. I was studying like crazy for finals. Anyway, I posted something really short. Kinda like an intro for later stories. This is really short, but it's something right?

* * *

Setsuna never knew what it was that drew him to the pink-haired girl. Maybe it was because the colour of her hair was the same colour as that of his mother's favourite shawl. Or maybe it was because he shared the same lost look that he saw in her eyes. Either way, he found that whenever he was around her, his eyes were inevitably attracted to her face.

He had wondered before if she ever felt attracted to him too, or if she even noticed him. Sometimes, he felt so unexplainably frustrated. Frustrated because he could never seem to understand her, frustrated that she could not seem to understand him. Was he that hard to read? But when he tried to open up to her or talk to her, he did not know how to. If he did talk to her, it was usually about the gundams, or it was when he was sitting in the cockpit and about to launch. Only then would he see her face looking directly at him. At those times, he thought he saw a flicker of emotion within her sky-blue orbs, but he dismissed it all as his own imagination.

He still remembered those few days after Lockon's death, when the entire crew was in a state of mourning. All he could think about during those days was that he was not strong enough to protect Lockon. If he could only have been faster and stronger, he could have been there earlier, early enough to stop his comrade, his brother, from being killed. He felt especially bad when he saw her tears and it brought his pain to a whole new level. But she never blamed him.

He had been standing on the Dynames when she had appeared, the letter clutched in her hand. He had reached out to help her onto the giant machine. At that moment, she seemed too caught up in her grief to notice him and his feelings. She could not seem to understand the need and longing within him when he had reached out to her, drawing her to him. Feldt had merely hopped into Dyames' cockpit to give her letter to Lockon.

Then she had come back out again. She had reached for him, her arms stretching up to encircle his neck, all the while staring back at him and seeking his eyes. He froze. She was touching him. But the warmth seeping from her through both their uniforms was inviting and slowly but surely, he reached for her as well, pulling her into him.

Now he knew why he was attracted to her.

It was because she understood him.

A/N: Now that I think about it, it's really random. But then, most stuff I write is random. So I was looking around, and I decided that there are far too little stories about this couple and I wanna change that. So tell me what you think. Thanks! :) and hoped you liked the 'intro'.


	4. 4: A Fresh Start

A/N: Hey there, I know I haven't written for ages. This was sitting in my com for quite a while, unfinished of course, so I decided to finish it up. Hope it's worth the wait.

* * *

After the first Lockon, Feldt was never the same again. For one, she was not as liberal with her feelings and she guarded her heart very carefully, determined to never let herself feel pain that acute ever again. But feelings were something she had little to no control over and she could never have expected herself to be able to love someone again.

Yet, she did. Never in a million years did she expect to feel that great sense of relief when Tieria announced that he was found. She almost wept with happiness. Almost. Luckily, she was able to compose herself in time and divert the attention to Lasse.

If given a choice, Feldt would not have wanted to fall for someone again so readily, because love hurt, especially when you were working on the frontlines of a battlefield, stuck in a war that seemed to have no end. The entire time she was stuck in space, there was never a peaceful moment, never a moment where there were no fears or worries. There was always the nagging feeling that there was something to be done, some new system to be fine-tuned, more training and maintenance. It was important to always be on the move when the entire crew's safety was counting on your every action and there were no room for mistakes, for one teeny tiny error could cost them all their lives.

Still, she couldn't have stopped herself when she first glimpsed him again, after four long years. He had grown from an overly-mature young boy to a mature and battle-hardened man.

* * *

He was known for being the most emotionless meister on the whole crew. There were times where even Tieria would be prone to expressing his emotions outwardly. Yet, he would seem cool and impassive, never flustered and never taken by surprise. In a way, it could seem intimidating if you had not known him for very long, but the crew were used to his detached and apathetic behavior.

However, under it all, Feldt wondered if he would ever be able to fully express his emotions, not just the righteous anger he displayed on the battlefield, nor the loyalty he showed to his comrades. But, the one person he seemed to show the most emotion to was Marina Ismail, and this irritated her. Who was this _princess_ who just appeared out of nowhere and thought she could just command Setsuna to do her bidding?

At first, Feldt just thought she was being protective. After all, they had known and worked with each other so closely before that there were certain unbreakable bonds between them all. Maybe all she felt for him was some kind of sisterly affection and the need to keep him here, with them, with their _family_.

Then why did she feel so unexplainably happy when both of them denied any sort of romantic relationship to Mileina?

* * *

She wanted to kill herself. Seriously, this was one of the most _stupid, clichéd _and _juvenile_ ideas that she had ever had. Really, now in retrospect, how did she ever convince herself to go through with something like this? Actually, it was mainly her fault for even suggesting it to Mileina.

Valentines' Day was just around the corner and Feldt had some strange urge to do something for the crew (or mainly just Setsuna), so she had privately mentioned this to Mileina, who of course told basically anyone who came across her path. Thankfully, Mileina had just mentioned this to Ms Sumeragi and Marie when Feldt managed to control the blabbermouth before she managed to reveal everything to the entire crew. What was surprising was that they were all willing to go along with her plan and Feldt, Mileina and Marie were even allowed to go down to Earth for a while to get what they needed.

Giggling and smiling secretively, they had made their way back to the Ptolemaios, their gifts hidden behind their backs. But, Feldt had not considered then how she would give the gifts to them, especially her with her awkward tendencies and lack of coherence at embarrassing moments.

On the day itself, Mileina had openly and loudly given the gift to her precious Erde-san, who had smiled at her antics and accepted her present. Marie was not as open, but had dragged Allelujah to their room instead. Sumeragi had given the gift to Lyle as a token of appreciation for all the hard work he had put in during the battles. This left Feldt flushing and clueless, at a loss of how to pass her gift to Setsuna.

She paced around unsurely in her room, biting her lip and feeling nervousness mounting within her. Out of the blue, she thought of a method to pass it to him without even needing to talk to him. A coward's way out, but still.

After writing a short note addressed to Setsuna explaining the gift, she ran out of her room to find a Haro.

Later, she hurriedly checked that he was in the repair bay with Ian before running to his private quarters, red Haro under her arm. Standing outside his door, she took a deep breath before using Haro to help her unlock his room door so as to break into his room. Looking around at his amazingly neat living space, she wondered where to put the gift. Deciding to leave it on his perfectly made bed, she turned around to leave, only to be met with a toned, blue-garbed chest.

"Eek! Setsuna! W-what are you doing here? S-sorry! I was just leaving!" she blushed furiously, stammering out some lame non-excuse excuse and edging for the door. All the while, he stood there staring at her with a half-amused expression on his face. Under normal circumstances, she would have been overjoyed at seeing some kind of expression on his face, but these were not normal circumstances at all so she focused on escape and all but sprinted out of his room, abandoning Haro.

She sprinted all the way to her room and only calmed down slightly after feeling her back pressed securely against her metal door. Feeling her heart racing, she dragged herself up and onto her bed. She lay there motionlessly, trying not to think of what had just happened and just letting her heartbeat gradually slow its frantic pace. She wondered if he had seen the present yet.

A sudden knock on her door startled her out of her musings. Thinking it was Mileina coming to disturb her peace, she groaned silently and got up to open her door.

"Mileina, I don't re- " She stopped mid-sentence, the beginnings of a heated blush creeping up onto her cheeks as she saw who really was behind the door.

"Feldt Grace. Do you mind if I come in?" His low voice always sounded wonderful to her.

"Uh… Setsuna! What a surprise! W-what can I do for you?" Her voice was probably a few octaves higher than normal. He looked at her stunned face then stepped around her to walk into her room. Hastily, she closed her door and turned around to face him.

"What is this, Feldt?" He had locked his copper eyes with her cerulean ones and was demanding an answer from her, the small white box she had left on his bed moments ago was sitting on his outstretched palm.

"It-it's a present for you! It's Valentines' Day today and I- I mean we wanted to give this to you."

He raised an eyebrow at that. "So it's from you?"

Feldt blushed and decided to nod. Setsuna's scrutiny became more intense.

"But why?"

"Because it's Valentines' Day and people tend to get presents on this day?" Feldt became confused.

"No, not that. I mean why would _you_ give this to me? Did Ms Sumeragi ask you to?"

"N-no. I wanted to give this to you."

"Why, Feldt?"

"Because… because you're you, Setsuna. And… and I do care about you even if you don't seem to know it." That said, she raced out of her room, leaving him standing there clueless and slightly bewildered.

Once she was in one of the observation decks by herself, she calmed down and allowed herself to think through what she had just said to him. Setsuna. She gave herself a mental kick. What the hell was she thinking by saying that she cared about him even though he didn't know? She sighed and rested her forehead against the cool glass of the window, staring out at the millions of stars in the thick, velvety darkness.

Suddenly, a sentence ran through her mind, in a voice that sounded strangely like the old Lockon's.

'He may act like an old man but he's actually still a child, and children need to be loved…'

Yeah. Definitely from Lockon. The cryptic yet meaningful pieces of advice he was famous for had just somehow appeared in her mind. And she only thought Tieria had them.

Damn Lockon. Damn Setsuna. Damn men in general.

Now she would not be able to hold any form of conversation with Setsuna without blushing, stammering or making a fool of herself. So she would basically avoid him just when she wanted to open up to him. That _sucked_.

The door of the observation deck opened. In the glass window, she saw the reflection of him, of Setsuna. He was standing at the door and looking at her.

_Damn him, damn him, damn him, damn him…._

He was walking nearer to her.

_Damn it, damn it, damn it!_

Now he was standing right behind her. Feldt could feel her whole body tense in response to his proximity.

_Don't come any closer!_

In the glass, she could see him reaching out to her, and she knew that he knew she was watching his every move. His hand landed on her shoulder and gently turned her around. She was so shocked that she let herself be turned around by him, a small blush creeping up into her cheeks.

Then, she felt herself being drawn into a rather awkward embrace. His strong warm arms were around her and she felt herself being assaulted by a warm, manly scent that was completely Setsuna. Surprised yet secretly happy, she gave into the hug and lifted her own arms to wrap gently around him in return. He drew back then and she decided not to push him or herself too far.

Moving back a few steps, the corner of his lips lifted slightly at her and she gave him a warm grin of her own.

As he turned to leave the observation deck, Feldt thought she heard a soft 'thank you' coming from the meister. She moved back to stare out the window, another small smile spreading uncontrolled across her face.

_Damn him._

* * *

A/N: After reading it through, I think it's still kinda rough, but I'm not really sure how to better it. For now. And I didn't plan this out which explains why it's kind of messy too. Man, I need to start writing more. Anyway, it's the holidays and I have a bit more time and more ideas, so I'm gonna see how it plays out. Hope you liked it and any response would be nice :)


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